Practical guides for parents and teachers

What children learn at each age and grade, how to plan a homeschool day, and step-by-step help with handwriting, math and reading. Every guide starts with the short answer and names its sources.

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What kids learn by grade
What Should a 2nd Grader Know by the End of the Year?
A plain checklist of what a 2nd grader is expected to know in math, reading and writing by the end of the year, with quick ways to check at home.
9 min read
Homeschool planning
How Many Hours a Day Should You Homeschool? By Grade
No official body sets a homeschool day by grade. See the Illinois and Kansas reference tables, state hour rules to check and how to judge your own day.
8 min read
Toddler and preschool
Kindergarten Readiness Checklist: Skills That Matter Most
A printable kindergarten readiness checklist built on the five Head Start learning areas and the CDC's 4-year and 5-year lists. A guide, not a test.
7 min read
Handwriting and cursive
How to Teach Cursive Writing: Step by Step for Beginners
A plain step-by-step plan for teaching cursive to a beginner: readiness, posture, letter order, joins, a 10 to 15 minute lesson and fixes for common problems.
8 min read
Teaching math
How to Teach Multiplication Facts: An Order That Works
Teach what multiplication means first, then the facts in an easy-to-hard order, with strategies for the hard ones and short daily practice.
11 min read
Reading and phonics
How to Teach a Child to Read, Step by Step
A step-by-step plan for teaching a child to read at home, from playing with sounds to understanding stories, built on two U.S. government research reviews.
8 min read

More guides

What kids learn by grade
What Should a 1st Grader Know by the End of the Year?
What a 1st grader is expected to know in math, reading and writing by the end of the year: tens and ones, silent e, short stories and more, with home checks.
9 min read
Homeschool planning
Homeschool Schedule by Grade: Simple Daily Examples
Three example homeschool days with clock times for kindergarten, grades 1 and 2, and grades 3 to 5, plus loop and four-day schedules and fixes for a bad day.
8 min read
Toddler and preschool
Busy Book Ideas by Age, and How to Make One That Lasts
Busy book page ideas for ages 1 to 5, how to make one with a binder and hook-and-loop dots, how to store loose pieces, and the safety notes that matter.
6 min read
Handwriting and cursive
How to Improve Your Handwriting as an Adult
A practical guide to neater handwriting for adults and teens: a quick self-test, pen and grip tips, warm-up drills and a 30-day plan of 10 to 15 minutes a day.
7 min read
Teaching math
2-Digit Addition With Regrouping: How to Teach It
How to teach 2-digit addition and subtraction with regrouping in small steps, with fully worked examples, a mistakes table and a printable checklist.
9 min read
Reading and phonics
CVC Words List: 200+ Words by Vowel, and How to Teach Them
A printable CVC words list with 215 short-vowel words grouped by vowel and word family, plus a step-by-step way to teach blending in five minutes a day.
9 min read
Routines and life skills
Chore Chart by Age: What Kids Can Do From 2 to 12
An age-by-age chore list for kids from 2 to 12 drawn from pediatric and child-health sources, plus how to start a chart, use pictures and keep it going.
8 min read
Holidays, parties and games
Baby Shower Games People Actually Enjoy
Eighteen baby shower games that guests enjoy: paper games, mingling, teams, keepsakes and mixed groups, with a comparison table and tips on what to skip.
9 min read
Teaching English
English Games for Kids: 20 Easy Activities for Home and Class
Twenty easy English games for kids at home or in class, with what each one practices, what you need, how to play and the English the child says.
6 min read
Toddler and preschool
Fine Motor Activities by Age: Toddlers to Kindergarten
What hands can do from age 2 to 5 according to the CDC, AAP and Head Start, plus six simple fine motor activities for each age using things from home.
7 min read
Routines and life skills
Visual Schedule for Kids: How to Make One That Works
What a visual schedule is, what the research does and does not say, how many steps to show, and how to make a morning or bedtime schedule at home.
7 min read
Holidays, parties and games
Christmas Party Games for Families and Large Groups
Twenty Christmas party games sorted by situation: all ages together, large groups, the table, quiet corners, classrooms and offices, plus a 90-minute plan.
11 min read